Dallas County Reports 19 Coronavirus Deaths, 228 Cases, Lowers Threat Level to ‘Moderate Risk’

Updated at 8:18 pm: Revised to include Dallas County lowering its threat level.

While hospitalizations for coronavirus in Dallas County remained at their lowest level since last spring, Parkland Memorial Hospital closed its COVID-19 intensive care units on Tuesday and the county lowered its threat level for the first time. times in more than five months.

About two dozen COVID-19 patients were still being treated at the hospital, but the closure of dedicated disease units was a symbolic step in the fight against COVID-19 just over a year after the pandemic reached northern Texas.

Dallas County reported 19 more deaths from COVID-19 and 228 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday.

The latest victims were mostly in their sixties or older. Twelve were men and seven were women, and all but one had underlying high-risk health conditions.

Seven of the victims were residents of Dallas, three from Mesquite, two from Garland and Seagoville, and one each lived in Addison, DeSoto, Grand Prairie, Irving and Lancaster.

County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement that with all Texans 16 and older becoming eligible to be vaccinated starting next week, people should sign up for vaccinations at as many places wherever they want.

“It’s been a tough year, but we’re winning,” Jenkins said. “Let’s focus on all the things we need to be grateful for and together we will defeat COVID-19.”

Jenkins said Tuesday evening that the county public health committee had lowered the threat level of the coronavirus to orange and red, where it has been since mid-October.

In the orange zone, the risk of transmission of the coronavirus is considered moderate. People in high-risk groups or over the age of 65 are always advised to avoid in-person activities, and precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing should be taken in public.

A number of activities, such as attending entertainment events and going to the movies, are always discouraged and should only be considered when physical distancing is possible, according to county guidelines. Shopping trips should still be limited, and take-out is preferred over restaurants.

Of the new cases, 151 were confirmed and 77 were probable. The figures bring the county’s total number of cases to 288,928, with 251,039 confirmed and 37,889 probable. The death toll is 3,413.

Officials said two of the new cases were Dallas County’s first cases of the B.1.429 strain of the coronavirus, a more contagious variant that has emerged in California. There were 14 cases of variant B.1.1.7, or UK, and one case of variant B.1.526, or New York ,.

Health officials are using hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and emergency room visits as key indicators to track the real-time impact of COVID-19 in the county. In the 24-hour period that ended Monday, 193 patients with COVID-19 were in acute care at county hospitals. During the same period, 287 emergency room visits were for symptoms of the disease.

According to the state, 527,164 people in Dallas County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 269,105 – 13.4% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Texas

Statewide, 4,595 more cases were reported on Tuesday, including 4,269 new cases and 326 older cases recently reported by labs.

The state also reported 80 deaths from COVID-19, bringing its toll to 46,558.

Of the new cases, 3,205 were confirmed and 1,064 were probable. Of the older cases, 226 have been confirmed and 100 were probable.

The state’s total number of cases is now 2,752,288, of which 2,371,653 are confirmed and 380,635 probable.

There are 3,498 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 714 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As of Monday, 4.6% of patients in the hospital region covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area were COVID-19 patients – below the 15% threshold the state used to define high hospitalizations.

The statewide seven-day average positivity rate for molecular testing, based on the date of sample collection, was 5.9% on Monday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 3.2%. A molecular test is considered more accurate and is sometimes also called a PCR test; an antigen test is also called a rapid test. Gov. Greg Abbott said a positivity rate above 10% was concerning.

According to the state, 6,407,978 people in Texas have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 3,215,549 – 14.3% of the state’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported four deaths and 268 cases on Tuesday.

The latest victims were three Fort Worth men in their 40s, 70s and 80s, and a White Settlement man in his 60s. Three of the four had underlying high-risk health conditions.

Of the new cases, 186 were confirmed and 82 were probable. The figures bring the county’s total number of cases to 249,418, with 210,883 confirmed and 38,535 probable. The death toll is 3,226.

According to the county, 218 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 395,739 people in Tarrant County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 197,660 – 12.4% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Texas State Department Health Services did not explain why the number of fully vaccinated residents was about 16,000 lower than it reported on Monday. A similar, but much smaller discrepancy last week was caused by a vendor not entering data correctly, DSHS said.

Collin County

The state added two deaths and 183 cases in Collin County’s total on Tuesday.

No details on the latest casualties were available.

Of the new cases, 40 were confirmed and 143 were probable. The figures bring the county’s total number of cases to 85,885, of which 71,565 are confirmed and 14,320 probable. The death toll is 784.

According to the county, 148 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 251,017 people in Collin County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 129,357 – 16.0% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County reported 129 cases on Tuesday. No additional deaths were reported.

The newly reported cases bring the total number of cases in the county to 71,200, of which 52,914 are confirmed and 18,286 probable. The death toll is 453.

According to the county, 51 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 176,322 people in Denton County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 101,418 – 14.4% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Other counties

The Texas Department of State Health Services have resumed reporting for these other North Texas counties. In some countries, new data may not be communicated every day.

The latest numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 10,969 cases (8,977 confirmed and 1,992 probable), 145 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 15,363 cases (12,962 confirmed and 2,401 probable), 233 deaths.
• Ellis County: 21,691 cases (18,337 confirmed and 3,354 probable), 300 deaths.
• Johnson County: 19,123 cases (16,390 confirmed and 2,733 probable), 353 deaths.